JERRY THOMAS NAMED INTERIM EDUCATION DEAN AT IOWA STATE

AMES, Iowa - Iowa State University Provost Benjamin Allen has appointed
Jerry Thomas, professor and chair of health and human performance, as
interim dean of the College of Education effective Aug. 1.

He replaces Dean Walter Gmelch, who will leave July 31 to become dean of
the School of Education at the University of San Francisco.

Earlier this year, President Gregory Geoffroy announced a plan to combine
the colleges of Education and Family and Consumer Sciences to reduce
administrative costs and enhance synergies between the two colleges. Thomas
will fill the interim role until a permanent dean for the combined college
is selected.

"Dr. Thomas is a nationally recognized scholar, he has provided extremely
effective leadership for the Department of Health and Human Performance, and
has provided significant service to the university," Allen says.

Thomas, who also has been serving as interim associate dean for research
and graduate education since last September, researches motor control
development across childhood and adolescence. His teaching specialties
include motor development, research methods and statistics, youth sport and
motor learning and control.

The recipient of numerous national honors and awards, Thomas is a fellow of
the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education. In 2003, he was
named a distinguished scholar by the North American Society for the
Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity.

Thomas has been a visiting scholar at the University of Western
Australia, Perth; and the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Thomas also has been a visiting scientist at the Beijing Institute for
Physical Education, Beijing, China; and at the Korea Sport Science
Institute, Seoul, Korea.

Thomas earned a bachelor's degree in health and exercise science
(formerly physical education) from Furman University, Greenville, S.C., in
1963, and master's (1964) and doctorate (1970) degrees from the University
of Alabama, Tuscaloosa. He joined the Iowa State faculty in 1998.

Prior to coming to Iowa State, Thomas served in various faculty and
administrative positions at Arizona State University, Tempe; Louisiana State
University, Baton Rouge; Florida State University, Tallahassee; and Georgia
Southern College, Statesboro.

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Quick look

Jerry Thomas, professor and chair of health and human performance at Iowa
State, will become interim dean of the College of Education Aug. 1.

Quote

"Dr. Thomas is a nationally recognized scholar, he has provided extremely
effective leadership for the Department of Health and Human Performance, and
has provided significant service to the university."